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Sinner dominated this critical area against Djokovic in Shanghai…

  • Posted: Oct 13, 2024

The start of the point was not the problem for Novak Djokovic. It was the end.

Jannik Sinner defeated Djokovic 7-6(4), 6-3 in the final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Sunday by winning just five more points (65-60) overall than the Serbian. In a match that showcased parity all over the stats sheet, the Italian dominated one critical area — the ability to finish points off with winners.

Winners: Sinner
– Aces = 9
– Forehand = 6
– Backhand = 4
– Volleys = 4
– Total = 23

Winners: Djokovic
– Aces = 4
– Forehand = 4
– Backhand = 1
– Volleys = 3
– Total = 12

Sinner clubbed 23 winners to Djokovic’s 12. There was no other match stat where such a gap between the two players existed. Both committed 23 unforced errors for the match. Both put 82 per cent of their backhands in play. Djokovic actually put slightly more forehands in the court (86% to 84%) and hit them harder (81 mph to 79 mph) on average throughout the final.

But when it came time to finish off the good work building the point, it was Sinner who proved to be twice as good as Djokovic. When isolating baseline points, Sinner collected 10 winners to just five for Djokovic. The Serbian won the battle of longer rallies of nine shots or longer by eight points to six. It proved inconsequential to the final outcome in Shanghai. When Sinner needed to end the point, his movement, shot selection and court position proved superior to the former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

 

One micro-battle that highlighted the strategic advantage Sinner enjoyed in the match can be seen with the first shot hit after the serve, commonly known as Serve +1.

Total Serve +1 Forehands
– Sinner = 62% (28/45)
– Djokovic = 42% (15/36)

Sinner Serve +1 Groundstrokes Won
– Forehand = 61% (17/28)
– Backhand = 53% (9/17)

Djokovic Serve +1 Groundstrokes Won
– Forehand = 53% (8/15)
– Backhand = 52% (11/21)

[ATP APP]

Sinner dominated with Serve +1 forehands in this match, hitting this shot 62 per cent of the time. Djokovic struggled mightily to find his Serve +1 forehand, only hitting it 42 per cent of the time. Sinner won 61 per cent of his Serve +1 forehand points, while Djokovic was only at 53 per cent. This had a negative flow-on effect for the rest of the point for the Serbian. Too many Serve +1 backhands equals too much baseline parity in Djokovic’s service games. That makes it increasingly more challenging for the Serbian to manufacture winners at the end of the point.

Djokovic also turned his attention to the front of the court to apply pressure to Sinner, but this turned out to be one of the rare matches in which Djokovic was not able to build a winning margin at the net. He only won 45% (5/11) points coming forward, while Sinner collected a tidy five of six points won.

It is almost 12 months since Djokovic won his last ATP Tour title at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin last November. At 37 years of age, the recent Paris Olympics gold medalist Djokovic is fast approaching the twilight of his career. This match identifies where his younger opponents will forge an advantage against him.

It’s not in building the point. It’s in finishing it.

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Sinner on special Shanghai moment: 'I'm going to enjoy this'

  • Posted: Oct 13, 2024

Jannik Sinner has established himself as a powerhouse on the ATP Tour in 2024, marking his authority at the highest level.

In a display that underpinned his standout season, Sinner muscled his way past Novak Djokovic 7-6(4), 6-3 in Sunday’s championship match at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. In claiming his Tour-leading seventh title of 2024, the World No. 1 claimed a personal best 65th win of the season, shining a light on the improvements he has made to his game.

“I changed some things. I feel like physically I’m ready to play for a longer amount of time at the highest level possible,” said Sinner, who improved to 8-2 on the season vs. Top-5 players on hard courts. “Mentally I’m ready to accept every tough situation on the court, and I think that’s the biggest step I have made forward.

“I’m just trying to stay as calm as possible and to keep working hard. It doesn’t really matter if you have a good week or a bad week, I’m just trying to improve daily, to be mature enough to understand what’s working, and I feel like that for me made a big impact this year, and hopefully it’s going to help me also for next year.”

Sinner, who secured ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours after Saturday’s semi-final win against Tomas Machac, held his nerve to improve to 24-8 in tie-breaks in 2024 after sealing the opening set. From there, the Italian clicked into gear to become the youngest Shanghai champion after one hour and 37 minutes.

“I’m going to enjoy this,” added Sinner, who became the first player to win three ATP Masters 1000 titles in one season since Rafael Nadal in 2018. “It is a very special moment, winning any tournament is amazing, but especially this one here, so we’re going to enjoy it, for sure, but nothing crazy.”

Djokovic was bidding to become just the third man to win 100 tour-level titles (Connors, Federer), but came unstuck against the bruising ballstriking of the World No. 1. With his third consecutive victory against Djokovic, Sinner levelled the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 4-4.

Sinner, who became the first player to win more than six ATP Tour titles in one season since Andy Murray won nine in 2016, credits the nature of his working environment to his prolonged success on the court in 2024.

“I will keep working hard, me and my team. I have these two new members in my team where I feel like I can learn many things,” said Sinner, who started working with physio Ulises Badio and fitness trainer Marco Panichi last month. “With Simone [Vagnozzi] and Darren [Cahill], it’s a great combination of coaches and the all-around team, it helps me a lot, it’s very comfortable to stay with them.

“I always feel like it’s part of the family already, so it’s nice. We will keep working hard. We’re going to try out some new things off the court, just to see what’s going to help me or not. I feel like the work there will never stop, so I’m looking forward to that.”

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Djokovic on Federer as spectator: 'I'm not used to seeing you in the stands'

  • Posted: Oct 13, 2024

As Jannik Sinner claimed his seventh title of the season over Novak Djokovic at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, there were some familiar faces in the stands.

Roger Federer, the two-time Shanghai titlist (2014 & 2017), was among those in attendance to witness the World No. 1 delay Djokovic’s quest to join the Swiss great in surpassing 100 tour-level titles.

“It’s nice to see Roger, I’m not used to seeing you in the stands,” said Djokovic, who fell to a 7-6(4), 6-3 defeat to Sinner in the championship match. “I wish you were here on the court playing with us, but it’s probably the first time I’m playing in front of you, so I had added pressure today.”

Sinner continued his emphatic run on hard courts this season, improving to 8-2 vs. Top-5 players on the surface with his dominant display over record four-time champion Djokovic. The 23-year-old’s only two defeats came in Indian Wells and Beijing against fierce rival Carlos Alcaraz.

The Spaniard, alongside coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, was also present inside Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena as Sinner claimed his Tour-leading seventh title of 2024 and levelled his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Djokovic at 4-4.

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Djokovic: Sinner 'suffocates' opponents, just like I do

  • Posted: Oct 13, 2024

Jannik Sinner is enjoying a stellar 2024 season on the ATP Tour. It is not hard for his rival Novak Djokovic to see the reasons why.

Djokovic pushed Sinner all the way in an absorbing opening set on Sunday in the Rolex Shanghai Masters championship match. Yet the Italian dialled in to clinch it in a tie-break before accelerating through the second set for a 7-6(4), 6-3 victory. It was Sinner’s third consecutive Lexus ATP Head2Head victory against Djokovic, and the Serbian was later asked if he sees any of his own abilities in his younger rival.

“All around, every shot he’s got in the game,” said Djokovic in his post-match press conference. “He’s improved his serve tremendously. I think that became a big weapon. He’s just very aggressive from the baseline, as soon as he’s got a shorter ball, he’s taking the initiative. Just very solid from forehand and backhand, doesn’t make too many mistakes, and just tries to take away the time from the opponent.

“That’s something that reminds me of myself throughout my career, that’s what I’ve done for so many years consistently. Playing fast-paced tennis, taking away time from the opponent, kind of suffocating the opponent, in a certain way. You want your opponent to always feel under pressure from your shots, from your speed, from your presence on the court. So he’s got that. This year he’s been so consistent. It’s really, really impressive.”

Despite his straight-sets defeat on Sunday, record four-time Shanghai champion Djokovic reflected fondly on his first appearance at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000 since 2019. The Serbian has risen three spots to sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as a result of his championship-match run, putting him in a strong position to qualify for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.

“I think there’s quite a few positives that I can take,” said Djokovic. “First of all, I think the level of my tennis was really good this tournament, probably best after the Olympic games in terms of how I played, how I performed, how I fought.

“I did my best tonight. Under the circumstances, you know, I felt maybe not a hundred percent fresh, but at the same time big credit to Jannik for playing the big points better than me, and that’s what made the difference. He deserved to win, he was just too strong in important moments.”

If Djokovic had defeated Sinner to lift the trophy in Shanghai, he would have become just the third man to win 100 tour-level titles in the Open Era (after Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer). While the 37-year-old acknowledged that hitting that milestone would have been ‘a bonus’, it is not the primary source of motivation for him as he continues to compete on tennis’ biggest stages.

“My main motivation comes from love and passion for the sport, and also the desire to keep competing,” said Djokovic. “These are the matches and challenges that I still strive for, to be in a position to play against the best players in the world, on the biggest stage, in the finals of some of the biggest tournaments in the world.

“That’s what I work for and why I still keep on pushing myself. That’s all that can be said about that. I don’t know what future brings. I’ll just try to kind of go with the flow to see how I feel in a given moment. I still plan to compete and play next season and let’s see how far I go.”

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Sinner in seventh heaven with dominant Shanghai final win vs. Djokovic

  • Posted: Oct 13, 2024

Jannik Sinner produced a commanding display against Novak Djokovic to lift his Tour-leading seventh title of 2024 on Sunday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The Italian did not blink in a 7-6(4), 6-3 triumph, becoming the first man to win more than six titles in a calendar year since Andy Murray won nine in 2016. Sinner clinched a high-octane first set by improving to 24-8 in tie-breaks for the year, before surging to an ultimately unassailable 4-1 lead in the early stages of the second set.

“It was a very tough match, obviously, playing against Novak is one of the toughest challenges we have,” said Sinner, who levelled the pair’s Lexus ATP Head series at 4-4. “I’m very happy with how I handled the situation. He was serving great the first set, I couldn’t find a way to break him. I played a really good tie-break which gave me confidence to start off well in the second set.

“It’s tough to tell you a secret about [Djokovic] because he doesn’t have any weaknesses. You have to try and use the small chances that he gives you, but there are not many during the match. He is a legend of our sport, he’s very tough to play against, so I am very happy.”

Djokovic, who was bidding to become the third man to win 100 tour-level titles (Connors, Federer), was denied by the imperious serving of Sinner. The 23-year-old won 81 per cent (21/26) of points behind his first delivery in an absorbing first set, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Sinner, who clinched ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours on Saturday with his semi-final win over Tomas Machac, improved to 8-2 vs. Top-5 players on hard courts this season. His only two defeats came in Indian Wells and Beijing against his great rival Carlos Alcaraz, who watched Sunday’s final in Shanghai from the stands alongside his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

[ATP APP]

Prior to Sunday’s contest, Djokovic held a perfect 4-0 record in Shanghai finals, with his sole win from behind coming in 2012 against Murray. However, the 37-year-old was unable to spark a comeback against Sinner, who stood firm in the second set.

“I’ve had lots of success at Chinese tournaments in the past and hadn’t played in China for five years, so I’ve missed it and I’m really glad that I came this year,” said Djokovic at the trophy ceremony. “I think I played some really good tennis, but congratulations to Jannik. He was just too good today. Too strong, too fast, well done. You’re having an incredible year. You deserve this.”

Despite experiencing troubles with his left knee in his quarter-final and semi-final clashes, Djokovic moved well throughout the match. He was particularly dialled in during the opening set, when he dropped just three points behind his second serve, according to Infosys ATP Stats. However, the gruelling nature of the battle with Sinner gradually appeared to take its toll on the World No. 4, whose serve was dismantled in the fourth game of the second set.

From there, Sinner found an extra gear to cruise to a straight-sets victory, his third consecutive tour-level win over Djokovic. With the one-hour and 37-minute triumph, Sinner recorded his personal best 65th win in a season.

Sinner, the youngest champion in Shanghai tournament history, exuded confidence on serve throughout the match. His serving prowess was underpinned by a gutsy hold from 0/30 in the tenth game when the pendulum appeared to be swinging in Djokovic’s favour.

“I’m very happy with my performance throughout this whole tournament, it’s obviously a very special one,” added Sinner, who became the first player to win three ATP Masters 1000 titles in one season since Rafael Nadal in 2018.

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Koolhof/Mektic seal Shanghai crown, edge closer to Turin

  • Posted: Oct 13, 2024

Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic took another strong step towards securing their Nitto ATP Finals qualifications Sunday by capturing their fourth title of 2024 at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The duo brought some of their most clinical tennis to edge past Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 6-4, 6-4 in the championship match, saving 100 per cent (6/6) of break points faced during the contest, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“The goal was to reach Turin, we knew what was at stake here,” said Koolhof, who is retiring from professional tennis at the end of the season. “This has been a great week. We are fighting for the last two spots, so this definitely helps. It would be nice to finish my career in Turin. We still have the Davis Cup Finals after that, so that will be special in other ways obviously [due to Rafael Nadal’s retirement].”

Koolhof and Mektic, who clinched the Nitto ATP Finals trophy in 2020, are in seventh in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings and trail sixth-placed Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz by just 15 points.

 

“I think you can see by the look on our faces that we are just thrilled,” added Mektic. “It was such an emotional week. All the matches from the beginning were so tough. We came back from saving match points, being a set and a break down. We came up here today with our best tennis and I am so proud of us, so happy.”

After three years with different partners, Koolhof and Mektic have reunited in 2024 to capture two ATP Masters 1000 titles (Indian Wells and Shanghai) and appear in strong contention to qualify for the season-ending finale.

Gonzalez and Molteni are up to 10th in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings with their strong run in Shanghai, during which they came through three match tie-breaks.

 

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